Bluebirds

One of the rounds I devised for my turn at being quizmaster the other evening was one based on the names of birds; I was at pains to assure everyone that it was not going to be one of those awful natural history-type rounds, full of questions like "which bird, native to the African continent, has the longest wing span?" or "which microscopic insect is the main food source of the lesser spotted grabble bird?" (And don't write and ask me, if you want to know, as I just invented the questions as an example of the genre. I also invented the grabble bird, or rather nicked it from an old radio comedy programme).

No, my questions were about stuff like the nickname of West Bromwich Albion (Throstles, or at least it used to be, though for the last ten years the less euphonious 'Baggies' has been heard throughout the land) and which bird shares its name with the designer of the church of Saint Andrew by the Wardrobe, in the City of London (wren); that kind of thing, which I think, and you might, depending on how you view such things, disagree with me, is a lot more fun than a dreary rehearsal of the "astounding" facts contained in the Guinness Book of Records

One of my questions, however, did give me pause; I had decided to ask what was substantially wrong about the lyrics of the Vera Lynn hit song The White Cliffs of Dover; but then suddenly wondered whether people would know who she was (still going strong at 90, I read in an interview in The Guardian not long ago). I need not have worried: at the mention of her name, David and Luis launched into a spirited if rather alcohol-fuelled rendition of We'll Meet Again, and people all got the answer to the question, I think, which is that the American lyricists did not know that the bluebird as a species does not exist in Britain, despite the word being used, as Antony pointed out, as a nickname for Cardiff City, and as I added, a brand of toffees. Curiously enough, I now realise, the Toffees is the nickname of Charlton's opponents this afternoon in a game switched from yesterday after someone realised, less than a month ago, that the Grand National would clash with it. Don't these people have calendars?

Charlton 0 Reading 0


Darren sits down in astonishment after failing once again to get through the Reading defence

Meanwhile, on the telly upstairs, watched by no one at all, Charlton were finding it hard to break through the Reading defence, though by and large not having much difficulty in keeping them out, so Charlton's fourth clean sheet in a row, and their second no score, though a series of goalless draws from now till the end will not be enough, I fear. Yesterday's Sheffield United result has blown everything wide open, and Charlton are still in danger, and really have to work hard for as much as they can get at Goodison today; they have won there before quite a lot, anyway, so it is not unheard of.